BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and Anesthesia Medical Group confirmed Wednesday they inked an agreement that will prevent BlueCross from booting AMG from its insurance network. The physicians group was set to leave the network if a compromise wasn’t reached by the start of September.

Surprise bills became a serious possibility because BlueCross and AMG had been unable to agree on reimbursement rates for anesthesia despite lengthy negotiations.

If AMG would have been removed from the BlueCross network, many surgery patients throughout most Middle Tennessee hospitals would have faced unexpected bills for anesthesia.

Even if they were treated at in-network hospitals, BlueCross policyholders who had elective surgeries, including giving birth, were likely to receive surprise anesthesia bills for hundreds or thousands of dollars after their operations were over.

Both companies issued short statements Wednesday saying they were relieved a compromise had been reached.

“We always strive to balance quality, access and affordability in our networks, and sometimes that can be challenging,” BlueCross said in an email to customers. “So we’re happy to continue our relationship with AMG, a longtime partner who has provided quality care to Tennesseans for many years.”

"We never wanted this issue to cause any anxiety for any patient or any employer who buys insurance, and we know how important it is for your employees to have the best care at the most affordable cost,” AMG said in its own statement. “We are pleased that this issue is now resolved, before the contract expired.”

Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.